Translucent Bow Roller Illumination for Night Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Loading a watercraft onto a trailer under impaired vision conditions, such as nighttime, is challenging due to inadequate illumination of the bow roller assembly, as conventional lighting elements are often distant or obstructed by the boat, limiting the driver's ability to align the boat with the trailer.
Innovation Solution
A bow roller assembly with lighting elements recessed into its components, including a first and second end bell, a roller, and a yoke, composed of translucent materials, which are connected by a fastening assembly to provide direct illumination to the assembly and surrounding areas, enhancing visibility during loading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional lighting elements are mounted to or recessed within the frame of the trailer, then illumination is provided to aid alignment and loading, but the lighting elements are positioned distant from the bow roller assembly and the boat blocks the illumination when aligned
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting element is integrated directly into the bow roller assembly, merging the illumination function with the structural components (yoke, end bells, or roller). This eliminates the distance problem and ensures the light source moves with the assembly, providing consistent illumination regardless of boat position during alignment and loading operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting element is positioned at the specific location of the bow roller assembly rather than distributed along the trailer frame. This local placement concentrates illumination exactly where needed for alignment visibility, ensuring the light is not blocked by the boat and directly illuminates the critical area for driver guidance.
2Illumination intensity
If lighting elements are positioned within or under the frame of the trailer, then illumination is provided for loading, but the boat blocks the illumination when aligned with the trailer
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the lighting element into the bow roller assembly itself, the light source becomes part of the assembly that the boat interacts with during loading. This ensures the illumination travels with the assembly and remains visible to the driver throughout the alignment and loading process, eliminating the blockage issue that occurs with fixed frame-mounted lights.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing lights on the trailer frame and having them potentially blocked by the boat, the light source is inverted to be part of the bow roller assembly that the boat directly engages. This reverses the spatial relationship so the illumination originates from the interaction point itself, ensuring visibility is maintained regardless of boat position.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides improved illumination of the bow roller assembly and surrounding areas, facilitating easier alignment and loading by eliminating the need for external light sources, while an external contact switch ensures compliance with regulations by activating illumination only when the trailer is in water.
Implementation Method 1
the roller comprised of a translucent material; and one or more lighting elements recessed into the roller to illuminate the bow roller assembly, wherein the recessed lighting elements are arranged in the roller such that, when the roller is connected with a first end bell, a yoke, and a second end bell by a fastening assembly to form the bow roller assembly, light emitted from the recessed lighting elements to illuminate the bow roller assembly is further propagated to an area surrounding the bow roller assembly based on the translucent material
Data Source
AI summary
An illuminating bow roller assembly to facilitate loading a watercraft onto a trailer under dark conditions is disclosed. Example components of the assembly include a pair of end bells, a roller, and a yoke into one or more of which lighting elements are recessed into, and a fastening assembly to connect the components to form the assembly. Generally, the lighting elements are arranged such that light therefrom is emitted toward one or more of the end bells and roller. The end bells and roller are composed of a translucent material that propagates light emitted from the lighting elements, which extends illumination to areas surrounding the bow roller assembly in addition to the bow roller assembly itself. A water-activated switch can be implemented to control the illumination of the assembly such that the lighting elements only emit light when the trailer is contacting water.